ATF makes big explosives bust in D.C.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says agents have made their biggest explosives bust in recent history in the District.

Officials say agents had been buying explosives, commercial fireworks and handguns from 61-year-old Laquinn Williams over the last month, but decided to arrest him Friday when they realized how much of the dangerous materials were stored in his apartment in Northeast D.C.

Special Agent Mike Campbell says it is the largest amount of explosives the ATF has recovered in D.C. He says the commercial grade explosives are designed for licensed fireworks companies, but they could cause serious damage in the wrong hands.

Williams, who is not licensed to sell firearms or explosives, is charged with being a felon selling firearms or explosives.

This arrest underscores the larger problem of illegal and dangerous fireworks in the District of Columbia. Each year the July 4th celebration wreaks havoc on District neighborhoods, drains police resources and undermines our public safety. It is time for the Council to take action to protect District residents from the indiscriminate discharge of illegal fireworks here. I support the fire chief's renewed call for a ban on the sale and discharge of fireworks in the District of Columbia. Maintaining professional fireworks such as the annual event on the National Mall is a reasonable way to celebrate while protecting the public.

@ communityadvocate - this article has more important problems than the fireworks... "Officials say agents had been buying explosives, commercial fireworks and handguns"... and you picked out the fireworks?!?!

This arrest underscores the larger problem of illegal and dangerous fireworks in the District of Columbia. Each year the July 4th celebration wreaks havoc on District neighborhoods, drains police resources and undermines our public safety. It is time for the Council to take action to protect District residents from the indiscriminate discharge of illegal fireworks here. I support the fire chief's renewed call for a ban on the sale and discharge of fireworks in the District of Columbia. Maintaining professional fireworks such as the annual event on the National Mall is a reasonable way to celebrate while protecting the public.

Kathy Henderson
===========
Kathy,

While I agree with you that illegal fireworks are dangerous, as a native Washingtonian and still living in Washington. I disagree as do most of us natives with the complete ban of selling fireworks in the District.

Our kids love their rockets and TNT that we get from the stand every year, it's family traditon at our July 4th cookouts and gatherings and a little more personal then the Monument display which most of us watch from the parks and hills of Southeast because we don't like taking our kids downtown in those large crowds of people. The mall is overrun every year with people, it's not safe in our opinion.

IN the past they have some have tried to ban the sale of fire worksin DC and we vote it down and speak out against it every time. DC is the only place in the DMV where the kids can have their own fireworks - legal and safe - and as long as they are monitored by adult supervision - there's nothing wrong with that.

I agree with love2much. I grew up in the city though I live in P.G. now. It's a cultural thing, setting off your own fireworks. Part of the culture of the city for those of us who have been here long term. I think we have a lot of transplants in the city now who perhaps come from locales where fireworks were not allowed and they would have that same standard be imposed here. I can say that I am 39 and in all of my life of using fireworks and even as a kid going to cookouts where others were using them, I've not ever seen or heard of one structure being burned down as a result of firework use.